assumed there had to be two, and possibly more.
“Don’t worry too much about the picture.” The owner said, pushing their things to the side. “It doesn’t really mean much. Someone painted that picture about a year ago, and I decided to hang it. We decided to make it the symbol of the Frost Queen. You’ll see it in almost every shop and home here.”
“Is the Frost Queen evil?” Olivia asked.
“On the contrary, she’s a relatively good ruler. She just has her moods.” The shop owner said. “Unfortunately for us, those moods affect the weather. It can have a huge effect on my business, too. People don’t tend to come in when the storms are raging. We’re used to them, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be annoyed by them.”
“How often do the storms come in?”
“You’re not from around here, are you?” the shop owner asked. Before Olivia could say anything, he added, “It’s okay. We get a lot of travelers in these parts. The storms are very random. You can see them in the earliest hours of the morning, or deep into the night. You can always tell when they’re about to come up, though. It starts with a small gust of wind. Then the wind will pick up, and the snow will start to fall. Soon it will fall faster, and then a bigger gust of wind blows in. Before long, all you will see is nothing but white snow. You must also be careful around the ice. The trees get covered with dangerous icicles, and they will fall at any given moment.”
“Thanks for the advice,” Gemma said. “What kind of potions will we need?”
“Mostly medicinal and herbal potions.” The shopkeeper handed her a box. “Be careful of the ice wolves out there. In the event that you are bitten, you should have something at hand to take care of the wound and scratches. There are also all kinds of poisonous plants growing in the woods.”
“In the snow?” Olivia asked.
“Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean we don’t have plants and flowers. There are going to be a lot of things in those woods that you need to look out for. Do you want me to add a guidebook to help you figure out which plants are poisonous?”
Olivia looked over at Alice, who sighed and nodded. “Just throw it on top with everything else. By the way, have you seen anyone come in here lately from another world?”
“I’ve seen a lot of people come in here. They stopped by and get supplies from me.”
“Well, we’re talking about someone who is a—” Olivia stopped herself and wondered if this village had scientists in it. “Um, he’s a—medicine man. Did he come over here for anything?”
“I haven’t seen any medicine men in here. What does he look like?”
“He has dark hair, green eyes, some freckles across his nose—” Olivia tried her hardest to think about any particular marks Donnie had. She had spent so much time looking at him that she had made mental notes about all of his features. Thinking about him and his freckles now made her miss him even more. “He is probably a little older than I am, and taller, too.”
“Hmm—I can’t say that I have seen anyone fitting that description around here. Definitely no medicine man, anyway. If I do see him though, I’ll let him know that you’re looking for him.”
“Thank you.” Olivia watched as Ms. Howard paid for everything and put it all in a giant bag. “Do you know the quickest way to the Frost Queen’s castle?”
“Turn left into the woods and keep going straight. Those castles will be hard to miss. I do suggest waiting until morning, though. It’s going to get dark soon, and you don’t want to get caught during a night storm. The inn is next door, and they only require a few coins,” he explained. “Ask the innkeeper. He may have seen your friend.”
“I will. Thank you for all of your help.” Olivia nodded as Ms. Howard dragged her to a dressing room. Alice and Gemma followed them inside. “Wait, what are we doing here?”
“Getting dressed.” Ms. Howard handed her the big fur coat and red scarf. “You cannot brave those winter winds with what you’re wearing now. That pleated skirt and nice blouse combo would work if you were going to school. As we are in a strange world that is covered in ice and snow, I think you need to be dressed a little more warmly.”
“Point taken.”